


Ethereal

by silentdescant



Series: Snapshots [16]
Category: Pentatonix, Superfruit
Genre: Gen, M/M, Mythology - Freeform, Unhealthy Relationships, Xenophilia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-13
Updated: 2016-10-13
Packaged: 2018-08-22 05:19:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8274307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentdescant/pseuds/silentdescant
Summary: Mitch has been Scott’s best friend for almost fifteen years, yet there are times when Scott looks at him and wonders how he can be human, how he can be real.





	

**Author's Note:**

> KINKtober Day 12: Xenophilia

Mitch has been Scott’s best friend for almost fifteen years, yet there are times when Scott looks at him and wonders how he can be human, how he can be real. There are times Scott looks at him and wonders if Mitch is actually an angel, like, for real. Because Mitch glows, sometimes. Only sometimes. Only when he thinks no one is watching him. He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s so entrancing that Scott has trouble looking away.

It’s almost painful to be around Mitch, sometimes. Scott’s body aches in a very particular way, like all of his cells are drawn to Mitch by some kind of invisible magnetic force. He wants to be close to Mitch all the time, wants to be touching him all the time, wants to look at him all the time. It’s unhealthy, and it must be annoying for Mitch too, to have Scott attached to him so thoroughly. It’s more painful to be apart from Mitch, though.

If Scott is away from Mitch for several days, like over their holiday vacation, he’s fine. It hurts, but in a normal way; he misses Mitch like he’d miss any of his friends. But if they’re just apart for a few hours, or a single night, Scott’s insides start to feel like they’re clawing their way out of his body, like they’ll seek out Mitch without him. Scott doesn’t understand this strange pull Mitch has, and he doesn’t know why he’s not immune to it after fifteen years of friendship. It’s been a long time now since they’ve spent more than a day or so away from each other, because Scott doesn’t want to feel drained and needy unless he absolutely must.

They’re in a hotel room—Mitch’s hotel room, because from down the hall Scott could feel Mitch, yearned to be close to him—when Scott finally asks, “Are you an angel or something?”

Mitch rolls his eyes. “Or something.”

“I’m actually not joking,” Scott says. “I feel like… like you have some kind of power over me, and I don’t understand it. It’s like your magic. But I’m not sure I like it. It hurts to be around you.”

“What?”

“It hurts more to be away from you.”

“What are you talking about?” Mitch sits up fully and stares at Scott. His gaze feels like it’s liquefying Scott’s organs, like they’re about to seep out of his skin through his pores. It’s disgusting, horrifying. 

“When we were growing up I thought you were an angel because you’re beautiful and your talent is incredible, and that was stupid, but now… I’m more curious than ever.”

“I’m not an angel,” Mitch tells him.

“It feels like you’re devouring me,” Scott murmurs. “I can’t ever get close enough to you to be satisfied. It’s like my body wants you to consume me.”

Mitch doesn’t say anything, but he lowers his gaze. He looks oddly contrite. Scott reaches for him before he even knows what he’s doing, pulling Mitch into his arms and resting his cheek on Mitch’s head. It looked like Mitch needed a hug, but Scott’s doing this just as much for himself as for Mitch. He needed to hug Mitch. Scott just needed to touch him.

“I’m not an angel,” Mitch murmurs. He sounds sad now and Scott’s entire being cries out to comfort him. “I’m sorry that I hurt you, though. I don’t mean to.”

“I just don’t know why you do,” Scott replies. “I don’t feel this way about anyone else.”

“Because I’m not like anyone else,” Mitch says.

“Well, sure, but that—”

“No.” Mitch pushes himself upright, breaking free of Scott’s loose hold. “I’m really not like anyone else. I didn’t think I was affecting you, so I’m sorry about that, but there’s not much I can do about it. It’s just part of my nature to take from you.”

“To take… what?” Scott asks slowly.

“To take… you. To… devour you, like you said. I never realized I was pulling from you, Scott, I’m so sorry.”

“Is it dangerous?”

“I mean…”

“Is it… What is it?”

“It’s how I survive,” Mitch explains simply. “Apparently I feed from you. Which makes sense. We’re always together. You’re always close to me, touching me.”

A nervous knot of dread twists in Scott’s stomach and he asks, “What are you?”

When Mitch meets his gaze, his eyes are dark, darker than usual. Black instead of their normal, comforting honey brown. It’s unsettling, and yet Scott is still drawn to him. He still aches to be closer, to be touching. Always.

“A siren.”

He says it so matter-of-factly, no preamble or sugar-coating. Scott tries to remember the lore he knows about sirens. Mitch has joked about it so many times—except, it turns out he wasn’t joking. He sings, he entrances men, he feeds from… not sailors’ broken bodies as they dash themselves on seaside rocks, but from Scott.

“Are you going to kill me?” he asks. He’s shockingly okay with it, however Mitch answers. Which definitely proves he’s under Mitch’s thrall.

“No. I don’t want that. I don’t ever want that. This… feeding thing. This obsession. It’s not something I can control.”

“Am I doomed to be obsessed with you forever?” Scott asks.

“I don’t know.”

“It’s not a bad fate,” Scott admits.

“I don’t like hurting you. I wish I could stop it.”

“I don’t.” He’s surprised to find that it’s true. He’s grown up with Mitch this way, feeding from him, and he can’t imagine seeing Mitch the way he sees his other friends. Mitch is otherworldly, and that’s something that Scott loves about him. Even when it hurts.

Mitch gives him a shy, quiet smile. “I promise I won’t eat you.”

Scott shrugs and pulls Mitch back into his arms, tugging until Mitch is half on his lap. He wouldn’t change this dynamic for the world.

 

 _fin_.


End file.
